Every VoIP provider markets features. AI transcription. Sentiment analysis. 47 integrations. Video with virtual backgrounds.
Nobody markets call quality. And call quality is the only thing that actually matters.
The Feature Trap
Here is what happens when companies choose VoIP providers based on feature lists:
- They get a system with 100 features
- They use 8 of them
- The 8 they use work poorly because the provider spread engineering resources across 100 features
- Calls sound like the person is talking through a tin can
- Employees hate it and use their personal phones for important calls
- The company is paying for a business phone system that nobody uses for business
I have seen this pattern at least 40 times.
What Actually Determines Call Quality
| Factor | Impact on Quality | What to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Codec support | High | Does provider support Opus? G.722? |
| Server proximity | High | Where are their data centers vs your office? |
| Jitter buffer implementation | High | Do they handle network variability well? |
| Echo cancellation | Medium | Specifically G.168 compliance |
| Noise suppression | Medium | AI-based or basic? |
| Media path optimization | High | Direct media vs relay through server? |
| Network adaptability | High | Does codec adapt to bandwidth changes in real-time? |
The Test Nobody Does
Before signing a contract, do this:
- Get a trial account from your top 3 provider choices
- Set up identical extensions on all 3
- Make 20 calls from each: 10 to mobile, 10 to landline
- Have someone rate the calls 1-5 on a simple form: "How clear was the audio?"
- Calculate average score per provider
I guarantee the scores will NOT correlate with the feature count.
Real Numbers from My Deployments
| Provider Type | Avg Features | Avg MOS Score | User Satisfaction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feature-heavy (50+ features) | 57 | 3.6 | 62% |
| Balanced (20-35 features) | 28 | 4.1 | 84% |
| Quality-focused (15-25 features) | 19 | 4.4 | 93% |
The quality-focused providers consistently score higher on user satisfaction despite having fewer bullet points on their marketing pages.
What Good Call Quality Sounds Like
- No delay (one-way latency < 80ms)
- No echo
- No robotic artifacts during speech
- Background noise suppressed without making the voice sound unnatural
- When two people talk simultaneously, both are still audible
- Volume is consistent — no sudden loud or quiet moments
My Recommendation
When evaluating providers, weight call quality at 50%, reliability at 30%, and features at 20%.
Ask specifically:
- What codecs do you support? (Opus is best)
- Where are your nearest data centers to my office?
- What is your measured MOS score across your network? (Should be > 4.0)
- Do you use direct media paths or relay all audio through your servers?
VestaCall at https://vestacall.com handles this well for small and mid-sized teams focuses on call quality and reliability over feature bloat. Their average MOS score across the network is 4.3.
